Purdue Basketball hosts Media Day

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue men's and women's hosted their annual Media Day Monday at Mackey Arena, with both teams expressing optimism heading in their respective exhibition openers.

"You're going to see something better than what everybody is expecting, " said men's junior guard Terone Johnson. "We have some great freshmen coming in and it will definitely help us."

The Boilermakers men's team isn't picked in most preseason publications to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten, partly due to what is expected to be a rugged Big Ten Conference and also in great part to the graduation of Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson, and Ryne Smith.

Purdue men's basketball plays its exhibition opener on Tuesday, October 30 when the Boilermakers host Montevallo, a school located in Montevallo, Alabama, at Mackey Arena.

Boilermaker women's basketball is coming off a Big Ten Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. The Boilers lose five seniors, including Attica native Brittany Rayburn, but return senior forward Drey Mingo, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Mingo missed the entire 2011-2012 season due to a knee injury.

"I think our whole team and this university has alluded to it's more about her (Mingo) than basketball," said women's head coach Sharon Versyp. "It's about a young lady that has went against all the odds."

Mingo is eagerly anticipating the upcoming season.

"I am incredibly excited to be back," Mingo said Monday at Media Day, "And I am back to being Old Drey."

Mingo is a co-captain who is expected to be one of the Boilers' top scorers and rebounders during the upcoming season.

Purdue women's basketball tips off its season when the Boilers host Lindsey Wilson, a school located in Columbia, Kentucky, on November 4 at Mackey Arena.